Moping around? Not with coach Sandro Wagner and his FC Augsburg team. He wants to learn from the two recent defeats and surprise Borussia Dortmund on Friday.
However, the coach also knows: “It’s going to be brutal, but also cool.” Why? He referred to the trinity of Friday evening, floodlights, and BVB as the opponent, all in front of a sold-out crowd. The only player FCA will definitely have to do without is captain Jeffrey Gouweleeuw. Tests on Chrislain Matsima revealed no structural injury, and the Frenchman is expected to play if possible. There is a contingency plan in place without the defensive leader, but Wagner did not want to reveal it.
Wagner was eloquent at the press conference, argued well on his own behalf, and showed that he was capable of learning from recent setbacks. “Of course we have to change something, we’ve conceded too many goals,” he said, referring to the Bundesliga’s leakiest defense, which has conceded 20 goals. “We’re not stubborn or naive,” he added.
Dahmen remains the clear number 1
Wagner is the focus of attention, and almost everything at FCA revolves around him. Is this an alibi for the players? “They can play freely because the coach is being criticized,” he replied to this legitimate question. The recipe for regaining momentum and success? “We are workers, we have to get back on track through hard work.”
The FCA coach insisted that he himself could cope with the current situation. His state of mind was “completely irrelevant,” he said, adding, “It annoys me more when the players and spectators don’t go home with a smile on their faces. I’m not the type to bury my head in the sand.” Wagner said that the pressure as a coach is greater than when he was a player, but that it’s good for his personal development when the going gets tough.
There is no debate about the goalkeeper position, even though Nediljko Labrovic played well against Bochum and earned his place with good performances in training. “Finn is our number one in the Bundesliga and will clearly remain so,” he said of Dahmen, who – like practically everyone else – had recently made a serious mistake against Leipzig.
